Got 'Ah Problem? (Adopted Shugo Chara! Fanfic)
by RanChAnimations
Summary: Amu and her classmates are introduced to a new mysterious student that gives off a bad aura. Amu sticks to her duties as the Joker, but what more is there to this student that is a force to be reckoned with? ... Author: "Mushroom" Shadow-Wielder, Co-Author & Editor: RanChAnimations, Cover: (Credit on Pic)
1. Chapter 1

"I'm tired ... So tired of it all ... The rules, the orders, the restraints. Tired of adults acting like they're better than me. Tired of the judgment of my peers, expecting me to conform to what they want. Well, I won't. I refuse. I'll no longer be what you want me to be. This is the way I am. Got 'ah problem?"

...

Today, Seiyo Academy is expecting a new student ...

"Is that the new student over there?" one girl inquired, pointing.

"Yeah, it is," answered her friend who was responsible for the gossip. The new student's blue eyes met the girl's through a pair of black glasses. The girl's gaze was held for a while before turning back around and continuing. The girl stood stunned with pink flushing over her cheeks.

"Hey, the transfer student is pretty cute, huh?" she whispered to her friend.

\- In Amu's Class -

"Ah, so, as you all know," the Sensei explained. "We have a new transfer student today. Please give a warm welcome." Everyone waited with anticipation as the Sensei told the person to enter. A somewhat tall boy came through the doors. He was long-limbed and slim with an almost feminine build.

His eyes were ocean blue, he had a plaid scarf with dangling earbuds around his neck to match, and he had short, messy brown hair that brought out his dark blue star earrings. He wore glasses that somehow made him look cuter. He turned to the class and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"The name's Akira Kaminari," he casually claimed. The girls whispered among themselves and the boys looked annoyed.

"As if there wasn't enough trouble with Tadase around. Now we have another pretty boy," Amu heard someone say. She had to admit the boy was indeed pretty. He had long lashes and an angular face, but she was pretty sure that he was a guy. He was also wearing casual clothes, consisting of jeans, and a plain jacket.

"As you can see, Kaminari-san has yet to receive the Seiyo uniform, so for today, please excuse her appearance," the Sensei clarified. It took Amu a second to process the teacher's words properly.

"Wait... 'Her?'" someone spoke up. All the attention in the room turned to Akira. She was busy examining her nails. When it grew silent, she looked up.

"Yeah, I'm a girl. Got 'ah problem?" _she_ asked.

After _that_ little shocker, Akira was given a seat next to the window on the other side of Amu than Rima. She sat down and prospered her brown messenger bag against her desk leg before pulling out a notebook. When Amu glanced over, she would see the boyish girl. She had to remind herself, doodling, or taking notes. Akira mostly stared out the window, uninterested.

During break time, Akira didn't move and continued to doodle and zone out. The more Amu looked, the more Akira appeared girlish. She could make a very pretty boy or a very boyish girl but on closer inspection was definitely female. Ran squeezed out of Amu's bag and floated up next to her.

"Amu-chan... I feel a presence from that girl," she cautioned with uncertainty. Miki and Su floated out as well, both with equally concerned expressions.

"Is it a Chara?" Amu asked. Miki looked thoughtful.

"It feels similar, but it's too..." she trailed off unable to come up with the correct wording.

"Dark," Su finished, shivering.

"An X Egg then?" Amu asked. Her Charas looked at her and shook their heads.

"We're not sure," Ran answered. "It doesn't really feel like one or the other."

Amu felt pensive. _Not an X Egg or a Chara? What could that mean? It wasn't a '?' Egg, was it? _After school, she had explained all she knew to her fellow Guardians and they had discussed what it could be. Finally, they had come upon a theory. However, as Akira had already left the school grounds, there wasn't any way to confirm it.

Amu walked home wondering what to do. Her head jerked up as she sensed a familiar dark, depressing aura. An X Egg. She took off with Ran, Miki, and Su trailing behind. They dodged along streets and sidewalks heading towards the source, then stopped when they reached a wall of bushes. Amu wanted to hurry but was stumped.

"You guys think I can make the jump?" she asked her Charas. Miki looked around and spotted an alternative.

"I see the entrance over there-" she informed but was cut off.

"Yeah!" Ran exclaimed. "Go for it! You can do it!"

"It's worth a try," Su added.

"Okay, but don't laugh." Amu decided. Miki shrugged and sighed.

Amu's X hairclip switched into a pink heart as Ran gave her the optimism and athleticism to be able to jump over.

"Hop, Step, Jump!" Ran chimed.

Amu leaped into the air almost completely over the bushes, but her shoelace was caught on a branch. Her hairclip quickly switched back to an X. She screamed and burst through the wall of bushes, crashing at the bottom. Her Charas hovered above her to check if she was alright. She moaned and slowly raised her head in shock to reveal what was behind the barrier. The scene before them was far from what any of them were expecting.

Akira, with her short brown hair glinting in the sunset, sat in front of a bunch of X Eggs. Amu dashed forward, thinking she was in danger, but stopped when she saw why that was happening. Akira, with her glasses set next to her and bright blue eyes shining, was laughing. Amu stopped short again when a small figure hovered next to Akira's head. It really was a Dark Chara. Akira seemed to have heard something and her head whipped around to face Amu's direction. Her eyes narrowed and she rose, picking up her glasses and placing them in a pocket.

"What do you want?" she asked. Her stance was cautious and it almost seemed that she was trying to shield the X Eggs behind her from Amu's view. Amu put her hands up in a placating gesture after brushing off from her tumble.

"It's fine. I won't attack, but ... What are you doing?" she asked as her eyes drifted towards the X Eggs and the small Chara next to Akira's head. Akira raised her chin.

"It's none of your business," she stated with a stone-hard tone. Amu flinched.

"Um, you _do_ know what those are, don't you?" she precautioned, motioning to the X Eggs. Akira's eyes narrowed again and she gave a stiff nod.

"And... You're a Chara bearer?" she asked, prompting Amu's Charas to reveal themselves. Amu continued with her gaze that wandered towards the tiny figure, an X Chara named Mega.

She nodded a greeting with a relaxed but vigilant face. Her hair was short, brown, and messy, not unlike Akira's but a bit longer. Her eyes were black and slanted with glasses also like Akira. She wore plain but warm clothing. Her muffler was covered with an X pattern and her pupils were replaced with white X's. Amu gasped.

"So we were right," she muttered. Akira wasn't pleased. She placed a light hand on Mega's head.

"What do you want?" she asked again with a voice that was anything but friendly. Amu wished that the other Guardians were here, but supposed that she'd just have to manage on her own.

"If you know what those are," she argued. "Then you should know that they need to be cleansed. You and your Chara, too. Your heart is black." Akira's gaze somehow grew even colder.

"These guys here are fine as they are," she defended. "You wanna know why? They have no place to return. There's no point in purifying them. The owners already moved on."

"And as for me," Mega landed and stood confidently on the hand Akira offered. "I'm fine the way I am." Akira's eyes warmed as they fell on her X Chara. Amu's mind swirled.

_The fact that her Chara looks like that meant it turned into an X Chara right when it hatched, _Amu thought. _What happened to her that made this happen? _She shook her head and turned her attention to the X Eggs. If what she said was true, Amu wasn't sure if purifying them would be the best option. They also seem... attached to Akira. The usual cries of "Impossible" weren't there. They were just quietly hovering behind Akira. Amu was immensely confused but continued.

"I think we should purify them so they can be free!" she exclaimed. Akira's face became clouded with a mixture of regret, reluctance, and defiance.

The X Eggs seemed to understand Amu and immediately rushed to hide behind Akira. Amu was even more confused. Akira shrugged.

"They don't want to," she stated, sliding one foot back and relaxing into a less defensive position. "If you push the matter, I won't hesitate to stop you."

"For X Eggs, they aren't very menacing," Su sympathized. "They look scared."

"Watch out, Amu-chan," Miki warned. "They could be playing a trick."

Amu wasn't sure what to do and wished more than ever she had the tactful Tadase next to her. _It's my job as the Joker to cleanse X Eggs, _she thought with a spark of determination entering her honey eyes.

"Ran," she called. Ran floated up beside her.

"Right!" She cheered. They looked at each other and nodded.

"My Heart: Unlock!" Amu chanted. As Ran popped into her egg, a pink light shone around her and her clothes transformed. When the light dimmed, she was wearing her pink cheerleader outfit "Character Transformation: Amulet Heart!"

Akira motioned for the X Eggs and her Chara to stay behind her. _Can she not Character Transform or does she not want to?_ Amu thought but decided that now wasn't the time. _If I can just lock onto her Chara... _She made a heart with her hands and began the familiar chant.

"Negative Heart: Lock O-" but she was disrupted. Faster than she would have thought possible, Akira darted forward and punched her in the gut. Amu gasped for breath as the wind knocked out of her. She slumped and Akira caught her.

"Sorry, but I like the way I am now," she declared._  
_

_She took me out while I was in my Character Transformation without even transforming herself... How is that possible? _That was all Amu could think of as the darkness became the edges of her vision before she blacked out.

...


	2. Chapter 2

Laying on the same wide grass field, Amu woke up to the sight of none other than a cat-eared Ikuto and Yoru looking down on her. She was no longer Amulet Heart, but a weakened Joker.

"What happened?" she moaned.

"I think you knyow what happened, nya," Yoru replied.

"I mean where did she go?" She grew more alert. "Ikuto, have you seen a girl with short brown hair, kinda tall—?"

"That was a girl?" Ikuto asked.

"You _have _seen where she went?"

"Yeah... You didn't thank me for saving you."

"I'm pretty sure I'm in the same spot where I was knocked out."

"I shooed some dog-walkers away."

"No, you didn't."

"Although it wasn't like me to assure strangers that a dainty little thing lying on the floor like you was okay although you clearly weren't, I'd hate for you to get trampled after you were already socked in the gut."

"Gee, thanks," Amu sassed.

"... You sure that was a girl?"

"Ikuto?! Cut me some slack!"

"Yeesh. I get it. It's humiliating to have the opponent win without a scratch, but I think you're too focused on your goal."

"But this is for the greater good. I'm not upset about losing. I just wanna help her."

"Maybe she doesn't need your help. Think about it. How many of the people you saved asked for your help?"

"I can't just let them suffer! Everyone deserves to be happy. If no one else will convince these lost souls that or give them a heart cleanse, then I will. I can find Akira myself. Now, where are my Charas?"

"Playing with Yoru."

Ikuto pointed to the four Charas that were sitting on the grass not far out of sight. Ran and Su were right next to each other encouraging Miki and Yoru. Amu knows too well about Miki's boy-craziness.

"I got my eye on you, Miki," she smirked.

"... I don't know what you're talking about," Miki lied slightly blushing as she was giving Yoru a drawing of a fish, which made him ecstatic.

Ikuto looked around for any signs of Akira at a distance.

"Is she one of your classmates?" he asked Amu.

"Yeah," she replied. "I guess there's no rush to find her. We'll talk soon. Come to think of it, she never really wanted to fight. She only wanted to protect those X Eggs for some reason..."

"You see?" he continued. "Go do your family a favor and go home."

"Oh, you're right!" she realized. "Ran, Miki, Su. Let's head back."

"C'mon, Miki," Ran called.

"Say 'bye' to Yoru for now,~" Su chimed.

"Hope you don't lose that drawing," Miki waved and turned around.

"Nya," Yoru meowed.

Amu's Charas all levitated along as she walked away. Ikuto and Yoru decided to lay down on the grass and gaze at the sky. Amu had so much on her mind and only had her Charas to talk to.

"What do you guys think I should do?" Amu asked them.

"Don't listen to him," Ran suggested. "Listen to your heart and do what you think is right."

"He did have a point," Miki added. "But the only thing that should be changed is her outlook and that's all we wanted to do."

"Nobody is ordering you to cheer others up," Su assured Amu. "But in the long run, you and the misguided will both be happy, which is what matters most."

"I still can't believe I couldn't take a punch," Amu sighed. "Imagine what would have happened if I hadn't transformed to Amulet Heart."

"Your compassion for others is stronger than any punch," Su smiled.

"If we can't stop others from knocking you down, we'll be here to pick you back up," Ran added.

"Thanks, guys," Amu's spirit lifted.

She managed to arrive back at her home before the sun went down, but was not fast enough to keep her parents from worrying. She lied by assuring them that the Guardian meeting went longer than usual. Later on, she went to bed and not falling to sleep with ease reflecting on what happened that day. The next morning, she and her classmates were in for a surprise from Akira. In case it had not been entirely established by the entire school that she was only a tomboy, Akira arrived in school uniform, skirt and all, as she was promised.

"We've only had her in this school for one day," someone commented. "But I was already used to her wearing that masculine attire. This is just weird to me."

The class was in session, but Amu became paranoid about Akira and would occasionally peek at her who was only doodling after finishing her work. During the last minutes of class when everyone got to hang out before walking out after the bell, Amu was offered a chance to clear the water with her who was now accompanied by her Chara, Mega.

"She looks a bit lonely," Su popped up from Amu's bag. "Only having her Chara to talk to."

"I was thinking of having a little talk with her," Amu hesitated. "But how can I face her after the bad impression I left on her?"

"I think she could use someone to talk to," Ran suggested.

"She _is _still new here," Miki added.

"... Okay," Amu sighed. "Here goes nothing."

"Mind if I cut in, Amu-chan?" Rima asked.

"Not at all," Amu replied.

Amu's shyness became apparent, but Amu's friends acknowledged her seemingly brave confrontation in awe.

"Guys, look," a girl whispered amongst her clique. "Rima-chan and Amu-chan are talking to Kaminari-san!"

"They're so cool!" another whispered back. "I can't bring myself to talk to her!"

"Together, they'll rule the school!" another added.

"Um, hey, Kaminari-san," Amu nervously greeted Akira.

"Hey," she replied nonchalantly but surprised.

"I wanted to apologize about yesterday. I was so confused and I got carried away. Sorry."

"... Are you serious?"

"Yeah. You see, I play a certain role in this school and I must purify X Eggs."

"Well... I'm sorry for gutting you. Are you alright?"

"Yeah! Those were just instincts!" Amu laughed and Akira cracked a smile.

"Could you tell me more about that role of yours?" Akira asked.

"With pleasure!" Amu replied. "We're among the five Guardians of the school, which explains the different attire. There's a King, a Queen right here, a Jack, an Ace, and I'm the Joker."

"'The Joker?'" Akira chuckled.

"I know, right?" Amu laughed. "But I grew to love being a Guardian and being there for those who need a little guidance."

"How does one become a Guardian?"

"All of the seats are taken-" Rima replied.

"She's just playing!" Amu giggled. "I mean, she's right, but the role is usually given to Chara bearers like ourselves. You qualify, so maybe you can apply next year if someone needs to be replaced." Mega, who was watching quietly, looked up and her face lit up with enticement.

"I was just curious," Akira noted. "I'm not interested in applying. It seems like a big responsibility."

"It sure is," Amu added. "And I hope you and I can agree to let me purify those X Eggs that you were with."

Akira suddenly froze, and a wave of disappointment and irritation hit her.

"Is that what all of this is about?" Akira asked. "For a second, I thought you guys wanted to be my friends, but you guys just want to take them away from me. I can't believe I almost warmed up to you."

"Please don't take it that way," Amu frowned. "I'm sorry, but when they go back to their owners where they belong, at least you'll have us. I promise."

"You'll never learn," Akira shut her out. "You're all the same."

Amu was stunned and stared at her in dismay as the school bell rang.

"Come on, Amu-chan," Rima put her hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah," Amu sighed.

Amu and Rima went on with their school day before returning to the Garden for another meeting. Once again, they gathered to debunk theories and rumors about Akira.

"Hold up," Yaya asked her fellow guardians. "What did we talk about yesterday again?"

"We were discussing what we've heard about Kaminari-san," Kairi answered. "A girl with a Japanese father and an American mother, very distant, but a hot topic to the school."

"I sort of battled her after school yesterday," Amu admitted, surprising the guardians.

"Sorry we couldn't show up to assist you," Tadase apologized. "We were called to correct some paperwork at the last minute."

"You were lucky to walk out of that, Amu-chan," Yaya sighed. "What happened?"

"I confirmed that she does have a Dark Chara that happened to look identical to her. Not only that, but she befriended dozens of X Eggs. I planned to lock on to Akira's Chara, and then once she was clean, the two of us could work together to set the X Eggs free."

"That was very brave of you," Tadase smiled. "Albeit somewhat rash."

"Really?" Amu blushed, only hearing the compliment.

"As you were saying," Rima snapped Amu out of it.

"Um, however, I didn't think it through. I transformed into Amulet Heart, but I was knocked out before I could do anything. She never even Character Transformed herself."

"That's horrible," Tadase dismayed. "Amulet Heart didn't deserve such a defeat."

"Of course you would say that..." Amu muttered under her breath.

"Amu and I have her as a classmate," Rima explained. "We tried to get on her good side by answering her questions about us, but..."

"I messed up again," Amu looked down. "She really cared about those X Eggs. It's not gonna be easy to make her open up since I keep coming across as pandering."

"What I would do is try to talk to her again," Kairi suggested. "But try to understand what her motivation is and be prepared just in case she wants to defend the X Eggs."

"I'll try," Amu nodded.

"Do you think she could be Easter affiliated?" Tadase wondered.

"If she wasn't interested in becoming a guardian," Rima replied. "Then she probably wouldn't want to become an Easter affiliate either. She seems very neutral."

"We must assume the worst," Kiseki declared. "Who knows what's on her mind? She could have lied about not being interested in becoming a guardian. Now that she knows how to become one, she might try to overthrow one of you and proceed to take over the school to make everyone an Easter sheep and then take over the world!"

"Alright, Kiseki-kun," Tadase gently pushed Kiseki down with his finger. "Settle down."

"That actually sounds crazy enough to be true," Amu worried.

...


End file.
